On the Issues with Alon Ben-Meir

Today's guest is Tsvi Bisk, an independent futurist, social researcher, and strategy planning consultant. In this episode, Alon and Tsvi discuss Israeli reactions toward October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza, how geopolitics in relation to Israel has changed since that day, and whether or not there is still a prospect of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Full bio Tsvi Bisk is an independ...

We are happy to welcome back to the podcast Moshe Ma’oz, Professor Emeritus of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a previous Director of the university’s Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace. In this episode, Alon and Moshe discuss Israeli perspectives of the last two years of conflict with the Palestinians, global perspectives...

Today’s guest is David L. Phillips, Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and previously Director of the Program on Peace-building and Rights at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights. In this episode, Alon and David have an in-depth discussion on Syria, including Trump’s removal of sanctions on the country, issues of governance in Syria, es...

Today’s guest is Ziad AbuZayyad, co-founder and editor of Palestine-Israel Journal, a former Palestinian Authority minister, former Chair of Law and Constitution in the Palestinian Parliament, and a negotiator in the post-Oslo Accords Cairo negotiations which led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority. In this episode, Alon and Ziad discuss the war on Gaza and its devastating impacts, the cu...

Today’s guest is Michael Bedenbaugh, a political analyst and author, whose latest book, Reviving Our Republic: 95 Theses for the Future of America, argues the need for political renewal in the United States and presents recommendations for such reforms in a historical context. Mike’s diverse background includes five years of service in the US Navy, as well as previously serving as president and ex...

Welcome to another episode of “On the Issues with Alon Ben-Meir.” Today’s guest is Carlein Boers, a political scientist focusing on the national political process in Israel as well as proposals toward a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. She also served seventeen years as a civilian officer in the field of military international cooperation and special air operations. In this episode, Al...

Today’s guest is Mark D. Friedman, an independent scholar working in the field of political theory and ethics. His latest book, Come Now, Let us Reason Together: Uncovering the Torah’s Liberal Values, discusses what he describes as the fundamental misconception about Judaism, that because the ultra-Orthodox follow ancient traditions and strictly adhere to halakhah, that the rigid practices that ch...

Welcome to another episode of “On the Issues with Alon Ben-Meir.” Today’s guest is Hillel Schenker, co-editor of the Palestine-Israel Journal, a Jerusalem-based independent, joint Israeli-Palestinian English-language quarterly. In this episode, Alon and Hillel discuss the current growing protests in Israel calling for an end to the war and release of the hostages, Netanyahu’s current strategy in G...

I am happy to welcome back to the podcast Moshe Ma’oz, Professor Emeritus of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a previous Director of the university’s Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace. In this episode, we discuss Netanyahu’s latest decision to escalate Israel’s offensive and fully conquer all of Gaza, the current mood in Is...

Today’s guest is Larry Luxner, a veteran journalist and photographer who has reported from more than 100 countries across the world. In this episode, we discuss the tragedy of October 7, 2023 and Israel’s conduct for years leading up to that date, Israelis’ shift in attitude since the attack and their current views on the events in Gaza, and whether or not the prospect still exists for a two-state...

Today’s guest is Milica Javdan, a political scientist and activist in the Iranian opposition’s women’s movement. In this episode, Alon and Milica discuss what work the Iranian opposition is undertaking, both inside and outside Iran, the impact of Israeli and US attacks on Iran and how that impacts the relationship of the Iranian people with the regime, and the prospect of regime change in Iran. Fu...

Today’s guest is Anne Speckhard, Director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism. She previously served for over two decades as Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine. She has interviewed over 800 terrorists, their family members and supporters in various parts of the world including in Western Europe, the Balkans, Central Asia...

Welcome to another episode of “On the Issues with Alon Ben-Meir.” Today’s guest is Edita Tahiri, former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Chief Negotiator of Kosovo. She is a key founder and leader of the movement for Kosovo’s independence, and as Chief Negotiator of Kosovo, she is the signatory of the first-ever agreement reached between Kosovo and Serbia, after 20 years of...

Welcome to another episode of “On the Issues with Alon Ben-Meir.” We have an unusual situation for today’s episode, where our guest is appearing via a pseudonym, “Joseph.” Joseph is a Turkish university professor, now living in exile in the United States after serving six years in prison on charges of being a member of the Hizmet movement. Although he and his immediate family are now in the US, Jo...

Today’s guest is Xhemajl Rexha, a Kosovar journalist and Chairperson of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, an organization with some 700 members of all ethnic communities in Kosovo. Xhemajl is currently on a two-month fellowship with the World Press Institute, based in St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota. In this episode, Alon and Xhemajl discuss the state of media freedom and journalist safety...

Today’s guest is Jeta Abazi Gashi, an award-winning journalist from Kosovo and a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication at the George Washington University. In this episode, Alon and Jeta discuss the question of identity and belonging among Kosovar youth, especially given Kosovo’s status as the youngest state in Europe, their views on nationalism...

Today’s guest is Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan lawyer, journalist, and digital activist. She is the host of Agora Discourse, a digital public square, and has been involved in social media campaigns that have sparked national conversations and policy changes on the poor state of roads, healthcare, and security. Agather is the 2023 recipient of the EU Human Rights Defenders Award and a 2024 recipient...

Welcome to another episode of “On the Issues with Alon Ben-Meir.” Today’s guest is Fatou Baldeh, a survivor of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and a Gender Justice specialist with an extensive experience in gender, health and development. Over the past decade she has been a leading advocate and contributor to knowledge on women’s rights and the eradication of entrenched gender norms and practices,...

Today’s guest is Lamar Zala Gran, an Afghan activist and founder of the nonprofit organization Empowering Afghan Women, which provides online courses for high school girls in Afghanistan. She is currently a student at Berea College in Kentucky, continuing her educational journey from the American University of Afghanistan after escaping the country in 2022. In this episode, Alon and Lamar discuss...

Today’s guest is Gulnoza Said, Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists. She is a journalist and press freedom advocate, and at CPJ, she has conducted several missions to Europe and Central Asia, and advocated for greater press freedom and the release of jailed journalists. In this episode, we discuss the state of press freedom across the world in 2023, w...

Today’s guest is Ray Takeyh, senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and a former senior advisor on Iran at the State Department. In this episode, we discuss the mindset of the Iranian regime and what the US’ understanding of it may be, the so-called ‘axis of resistance’ and Iran’s use of proxies in various regional conflicts, and how that regional involvement is...

Today’s guest is Marwan Muasher, vice president for studies at Carnegie and former Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan. In this episode, Alon and Marwan discuss the Israel-Hamas war – what exit strategy that can be envisioned at this time and what parameters will need to be established, what changes are needed among the Israeli, Palestinian, and American governments to enable a co...

Today’s guest is Dov Waxman, a professor of political science and the director of the Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at UCLA. This special episode was recorded in two parts; the second part was recorded in late September, just a week and a half before Hamas’ attack on Israel, and the first part was recorded in October, two weeks after the outbreak of war and just before Israel’s ground inv...

Welcome to another episode of “On the Issues with Alon Ben-Meir.” Today’s guest is Yossi Alpher, a consultant and writer on Israel-related strategic issues. He is a former intelligence officer, and served as Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel in July 2000, during the Camp David talks, concentrating on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. In this episode, we discuss Israel’s current...

Today’s guest is Avi Shlaim, Professor Emeritus of International Relations at St. Antony’s College at the University of Oxford. His most recent book, Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab Jew, discusses his childhood in Baghdad and his family’s flight to Israel, interwoven with the history of the Jews in Iraq in the early 20th century. In this episode, we discuss this book, including Arab-Jewish harmon...